Hey, Bob Vila!
by Evelyn Bartin

For years you've watched the man. Watched as he's strolled through this work site in Vermont, that work site in California. You've not only watched, you've listened. As this high priest of hammers and nails has preached the joy of building. And you've felt his joy, let it penetrate your brain, trickle into your chest, and finally land deep down in your gut.

And this feeling is soooooo goooood. It's even kind of a rush. Like maybe the rush of getting the corner office. Or the rush of picking the right stock and selling it at the right time. It gets you heady, jazzed, believing in the force of you. And in your ecstasy, your glow, you look up to the skies and pronounce to the world, "I'm going to do it! I'm going to build my dream house!"

"Why not?" you ask yourself. "I'm smart, I'm strong, I've got the bucks. Bob Vila says I can do it, HGTV says I can do it, Home Depot says I can do it. I can do it! In fact it looks so easy, maybe I'll even build it myself!"

OK, I'm here to tell you before you take another rapturous, empowered step, take a breath! I don't mean to be a big buzz kill, honest I don't. But the plain fact is, building ain't easy.

I come from a family of construction workers and tradesmen. While most girls were playing with Barbie dolls and getting Toni home perms, I was learning how to mitre a corner, how to countersink a screw. My uncles used to take me on job sites where I'd sit and watch mesmerized as the curly wood bits came streaming out of the planers. The smell alone made me smile. (Still does.) And when one of them would ask me for a hammer or, better yet, have me pound in a nail, I felt I was right where I belonged.

It was no accident that this background launched me into the world of design. For the longest time I've helped people with interiors. Helped them pick the right sofa for their den, the right fabric for their draperies, the right paint color for their rooms. It's always been my delight to coordinate decor. And I do it very well, if I do say so myself.

Then I started doing more. I started combining my passion for interiors with my family background in construction. I started working with architects and engineers, helping to arrange space, angle walls, plan lighting. Eventually I started to design homes and get them built. But even for me—who's spent the better part of my life "in the business"—I'm telling you again, building ain't easy.

I know you've all read those books that say you don't even need to show up to be a successful GC (general contractor, for you neophytes). Phooey on that! Building is a complicated process, fraught with difficulties even on its smoothest days. Add to that the emotions that run high when dreams are at stake—that is to say, dreams and a lot of money—and you've got a formula for frenzy. I've seen normally rational, business-like people turn into crazed lunatics right before my eyes when things start going wrong. I've seen it especially with weekenders, who are building their dream house long-distance, and arrive at the end of each week to see how it's coming along. They get here all excited on Friday, only to crash once they find out that not much has happened the Monday to Thursday before. And the Monday to Thursday before that. And the Monday to Thursday before that.

It's mostly those same overwhelmed weekenders who seek my help. While I still do home design and decor, and I still GC and build homes, it's my construction planning service that often gives me the most satisfaction. Of course, it's most satisfying when homeowners call me in early on. When I'm established right at the beginning as their design assist with the architect and their advocate with the builder. When we all get cemented as a team and have time to plan and anticipate and come to respect one another. Like a good wedding planner, that's when I can help the most.

But unfortunately I'm also often called in when things have already gotten hairy. When homeowners are at the end of their proverbial ropes. When the project is way over-budget and way behind schedule. When the builder hasn't been on-site all week and has left the tile guy to read the plans himself. Only the tile guy can't read plans, so he's put the white tile in the green bathroom and the green tile in the white bathroom. Or no tile into any bathroom. When the architect is off to Buenos Aries designing his next project. When the homeowner is still shopping for appliances and fixtures, and doesn't realize that the electrician and plumber can't make a move without knowing what they're wiring or plumbing. And that no inspections can happen until that wiring and plumbing are in. And the builder has used all this as an excuse to not show up. And on, and on, and on.

If you're thinking of building your dream house, take some advice from someone who's seen the best of times and the worst of times, and who's held homeowners' hands through both:

• Be certain you and your architect are on the same page right from the beginning. From a design perspective, if it's Hansel and Gretel's gingerbread house you're after, don't hire a Frank Lloyd Wright wanna-be. Once you've found the architect (or designer) with whom you feel simpatico, be sure he or she fully understands your wishes and is willing to work within your space and budget requirements. That is to say, don't let him/her talk you into more (or less) than you want. It's your dream. Also, unless you've made other accommodations, your architect should agree that drawing your house is only one aspect of his/her responsibility. The others are being in touch with building costs, knowing the right builders/GCs to call on for bids and ultimately recommend for the job, and being on-site regularly to supervise the project.

• Don't even think about GC'ing your own home unless you've already GC'ed at least two other significant projects. By this I don't mean you've changed a light bulb or arranged to have the running toilet tank fixed. I do mean you've demo'ed a kitchen, moved walls, installed a new bathroom, or added a room onto your current house. You don't have to have any skill building stud walls or soldering pipes, but you ought to know things go together and what sequence they follow.

• If you do decide to GC your own project, come armed with lists of subcontractors and tradespeople who are highly recommended. These are the people with the most practical, hands-on knowledge. They can (literally!) make or break your house. Don't get me wrong, the Yellow Pages can help in a pinch. But it shouldn't be your main resource.

• Assuming you've gotten over your initial power rush and have decided to hire a builder/GC, don't go with the cheapest bid. Though you may have heard this before, it bears repeating. Power broker that you are, it's tempting to want to believe that you can "score." But avoid temptation and face it right from the beginning: dreams are expensive. Just like Brooks Brothers suits and BMWs, quality building costs more. You simply will not get a premier job at a cheap price.

• Hire key people—namely, the architect, engineer, and builder/GC—who live and work no more than 15 miles away. You want these guys to be close at hand to supervise, answer questions as they come up, and trouble-shoot problems. In other words, you want them to regularly monitor the process and keep the project moving along smoothly and in a timely fashion. In the event of a snafu, you also want them to be able to make a site visit quickly and easily and correct a problem before it becomes gargantuan. Remember, if the project is in their backyards, so to speak, they'll have more of a vested interest in its outcome and the subsequent press it will generate (good or bad) than if they're 100 miles away.

• You're going to be married to your builder for probably a year. Be sure you like him/her! It's folly to imagine that you're not in a relationship with this person. Of course, have your lawyer draw up contracts and take care of the legal stuff. But beyond legalities, be sure you're comfortable with your builder, you communicate easily with one another, and you feel that core feeling of trust and a good fit.

• Rest assured, it's going to cost more than you'd like and take longer than you'd hope. Though intentions might be good, the promise of having your dream built in three months and come in under-budget is an empty one. You might have heard the old saying: it's going to cost twice as much and take twice as long. Or, at the other end of the spectrum, you might have heard Bob V. tell you to plan for an extra 10 to 15 percent in your budget and schedule. The real picture, of course, is somewhere in the middle: plan for at least 20 to 40 percent for both cost and timing overruns. In fact, some lawyers have begun to build in contract conditions and penalties for significant time delays, as these can have catastrophic implications for a mortgage lock.

• If you're not already, become "local" right away. Take a room or apartment nearby and visit your site as often as possible. And if you can't, hire someone who can. Even if you love your builder, even if your architect is on-site every week and trouble-shooting as needed, there's no substitute for the owner (or the owner's advocate) watching the pot on a regular basis. Trust me, even the best mice will play if the cat's away.

• You can't plan and pre-think enough! Put all that over-achiever neurosis to work for you. The more you know and have anticipated going in, the better the end result will be. Even if you've opted out of the GC role, building a house requires that you be good at understanding work flow and timing, communicating and organizing, planning and coordinating, guiding and monitoring, often even designing and shopping. If you're not up for all this, get help, and right at the beginning! Don't wait for your dream to start feeling like a nightmare!

Evelyn Bartin is a designer, general contractor and construction planner whose company, E. Bartin Inc., is located in Milan.